Posted on 02/05/2016 9:38:41 PM PST by Red Steel
INDEPENDENCE - This was something new for Naomi Probert: Stand in front of a crowd of 500 people and tell them why she feels someone should be elected president of the United States.
The married mother of adopted Haitian children ages 5 and 6 found one candidate spoke to her heart: Dr. Ben Carson.
She and her family met Carson, personally, a day earlier in Manchester. The experience only reinforced her support for him.
So much so, she was willing to speak on his behalf at her Republican precinct caucus Monday night at Independence High School. In fact, her kids helped hand out literature for him. Supporting Carson was, for the Proberts, a family affair.
"I'd never done anything like this before," she said. "I felt really passionate about Dr. Carson. We were inspired by Dr. Carson's story. I volunteered to talk for him. And you get all revved up to speak to 500 people."
Then, the unthinkable happened.
A lady who had just checked her smart phone said the campaign of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz "just informed us that there's a CNN story that he (Carson) is out of the race and he's endorsed (Sen. Ted) Cruz," Probert related. She had already risen to speak.
"There was a gasp in the audience," Probert related. "I was just devastated. I got emotional. I said, 'My husband and I live here in Independence with our two Haitian children. We were inspired by Dr. Carson's story...'"
That was as far as she got. Overcome by emotion, she sat down.
She and her husband, Stephen, got on their smartphones to find the story in question. They didn't. "We said, 'This isn't true. We were duped.’" The report said Carson was going home “for a fresh suit of clothes" the day after the caucuses instead of heading straight to New Hampshire - not that he was dropping out of the race. But it triggered speculation.
"It was a complete fabrication. He didn't endorse anyone," Probert said. She and her husband knew if Carson was withdrawing, he would say so directly to his supporters. She asked to finish her remarks.
"They allowed me to do that," Probert said. "I don't know if the damage had been done," - if the initial, incorrect announcement had swayed anyone.
"My speculation was that it was a media-driven thing, but I wasn't sure," Probert said.
Cruz, a day after the caucuses, apologized for what ultimately was attributed to a misinterpretation of Carson's statements to CNN about taking a break after Iowa. A subsequent CNN report and local Republican officials noted U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Cruz state campaign chair, had retweeted the incorrect information.
"I would say, being he (Carson) isn't a career politician, he probably doesn't calculate all of his statements" and how they might be used against him, Probert said.
"Dr. Carson accepted the apology" by Cruz. "In that sense, it's kind of been taken care of," Probert said. But Carson also called for accountability in several interviews. A Carson campaign email Thursday bearing a subject line "Dirty tricks?" said that, while some CNN commentators shared blame for "openly speculating" Carson was calling it quits, "it is unacceptable that Cruz's campaign would dishonestly twist and distort the CNN report to manipulate Carson supporters into switching their caucus vote at the last minute."
Donald Trump's continued criticism of Cruz over the matter "can only hurt Carson and Cruz," Probert suggested. "Trump's trying to take advantage of this and it's going to hurt them both. That's not good.
"I don't hold anything against anyone local," Probert said. "I really do feel like it's beyond a local thing. I think a lot of people in America are just really tired of politics as usual. That’s why Dr. Carson, being an outsider, that he's been so successful."
Probert is still committed to Carson as long as he's a candidate. She is a 1995 graduate of Cedar Falls High School.
Reminiscent of the “I meant to vote for Al Gore but voted for Bush” days.
Wow, if a person is so easily devastated maybe they should never get out of bed. She strikes me in the same way as people that go to pieces at the news of the death of a performer, I just can’t fathom it. Is this article supposed to tug at my heart and instill within me a rage against Cruz? Sorry no sale.
Carson got 10% of the entrance poll taken before the Cruz campaign lie and he finished with 10% after the final vote taken.
Impact was zero on actual voters.
What is the next phony attack on Cruz which will be manufactured?
Anyone interested in, you know, issues??
Sounds like the fainting couch got a workout.
Waahhhhh!
I’m a VICTIM!
I fear Dr. Carson has fallen and hit his head or something...
OR been totally captured by the Ted Cruz despising media...
And through that media, is enjoying his victimhood.
Meanwhile, what about MY country, Dr. Carson???
Oh the horror. Other people want you to support their candidate. /s
Interesting also is if this story is to be believed, had not that lady checked her smart phone, no one in the room would have been aware of the situation.
That means the Cruz people on site were not aware of it, nor spreading false stories.
Yes, that is rather interesting, isn’t it?
Carson banging on about this reminds me exactly of the overblown hype of deflate-gate and the Patriots vs. the Colts.
A slightly under-inflated football is NOT the reason you lost by 5 touchdowns.
That’s why no votes changed. He had 10% in pre poll of actual attendees and finished with 10%.
Did she change her vote? Nope.
Did she check with the Carson campaign to confirm the story? Nope.
Was the Carson campaign AWOL on election night? Yep.
Did Carson essentially drop out of the race? Yep.
Well, you know what they said after the race between the Cape buffalo and the cheetah ... of course the cheetah blew him away, but the cat dropped dead from a heart attack the next day ‘cause “Cheetahs never prosper.”
He has a vote loss problem but he probably needs to look elsewhere than the caucus kerfuffle. My son was a big Carson supporter but had given up on him weeks ago. Carson needs to work on THAT. Carson will get nowhere looking in the rear-view mirror.
I can see right now that Ben Carson is preparing to pin the impending failure of his campaign (and every other negative event in his adult life) on Ted Cruz. “My world was perfect, PERFECT!, until Ted Cruz came down from Canada and bulldozed my sand castle dreams without batting an eye!!”
Oh puhlease. What a nothing issue.
I’m sorry, but did Ben go back to selling books?
You know I’m a Trump guy. It was just fricking Iowa. One delegate difference. Just watch can’t trust Ted in the future and let’s move on to New Hampshire please!
Republicans are supposed to stand for something. Now we're getting a defense of Cochranesque politics?
Where's the heart in the Cruz campaign staff? The desire for real change from business as usual?
An obvious lie. Nobody ever said "and he's endorsed Ted Cruz".
Reports that Trump people were telling voters that Cruz is not eligible are ignored.
This is an orchestrated attack on Ted Cruz.
That is what they do at a caucus, try to persuade people to vote for their guy.
That is what a caucus is for.
It is not just go in, vote and leave. (Which the Trump camp was telling people)
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